My clients were from Kentucky so they were not used to
catching Minnesota fish! We were about 15 minutes into the
trip and he hooked this monster! It hardly made a ripple when
she ate the bait. Believe it or not she didn't even fight-she was
too fat!

After I measured and girthed her, I started making calls trying
to get an estimated weight or try and figure out what the state
record weight was. After 20 mins and MANY photos later
we as a group decided to let her go. She had a very small
head, so she obviously had a lot of life left in her. Once we
started showing pictures and talking to many people about
this fish, it was then that we realized that we let go of the
state record! The next time she is caught (and there will
be a next) she might just be the world record! The story will
be even more exciting for the next fisherman! by the way,
Minnesota State record was set in 1976 with the muskie
weighting 54 lb.

Jason Hamernick
Muskiebreath's Guide Service
Minnesota
612-209-0608
muskiebreath@aol.com

State Record? No ONE WILL EVER KNOW
By Gregg Thomas

It was our first trip north…

It was our first trip north, in our never-ending quest for
big muskies. Bill Thomas and I made the 16 hr., approx.
1,000 mile, journey from our home waters of Cave Run
Lake in Kentucky to beautiful Mille Lacs Lake in
Minnesota. At 132,000 acres, Mille Lacs looked like an
ocean compared to the 8,500 acres in the Cave. Last
fall, while fishing at Cave Run, Bill and I shared a warm
campfire with Gregg Thomas and his client George. We
each told fish stories well past our bed times about fish
being caught, fish being lost, and big fish being seen. It
was four die-hard muskie fishermen brainstorming about
the what’s, when’s, where’s, and how’s of muskie
fishing. During this conversation Gregg told us about
what wonderful summers he has had on Mille Lacs.
Gregg encouraged us to give this lake a try during the
hot summer months when Cave Run’s water
temperature and conditions are imperfect for a muskie’s
survival. Gregg is a true muskie hunter and a top-notch
guide and fisherman. Once vacations schedules were
made and plans to travel north were finalized we
discovered that Gregg was already booked for the entire
week we were on vacation. Gregg reinsured me not to
worry for he would book us a trip with the guide that
brought him to Mille Lacs Lake, being Jason Hamerick
of MuskieBreath guide service. Jason, in his life long
experiences, has boated fish over the forty- pound mark
during his expeditions on Mille Lacs. We felt we were in
good hands and we were!

We met Jason very early on the morning of July 18th.
We were fishing on the south end of the lake during the
dark phase of the moon. It was really dark. Jason
literally placed us at the spot, on the spot. The wind was
making a strong chop on the water and boat control was
a key to success on this trip. Jason held the boat perfectly
in 12 feet of water for us to cast to a distant submerged
weed line that topped out at about 9 feet. Bill was casting
a purple pacemaker surface lure and I was using a black
buck tail. Shortly after we were on the water, we could
actually here the fish inhale the pacemaker and the water
erupted with a fury. All three of us knew this fish was
massive, but couldn’t judge just how big until we could
get a closer look due to the low light conditions. After the
struggle with the fish was over, she was netted and
brought along boat-side. The giant female actually looked
short in length compared to her massive girth. The lure
was inched deep into the mouth of the muskie and we
didn’t dare do her any harm. It took all three of us to
properly remove the lure. Jason was successful with the
front hooks but the rear hooks created a problem. While
he held the fish tightly, by the jaw, and Bill holding the net,
I cautiously took the cutters and cut the remaining rear
hooks from the pacemaker and the fish was once again
free, except for the net. Cameras were quickly prepared
and Jason accurately measured the girth of the fish while
she was still in the water. Once in the boat I snapped a
dozen quick photos, and Jason measured the length on the
“Judge”. WOW!! What a creature. The measurements
were 51” in length and 29” in girth. A true monster! The fish
was quickly returned to her haunts and Bill easily revived
the giant. Jason thought that we might be close to a new
Minnesota State Record but all of us where unsure just how
close. Due to the time of day, it was going to prove very
difficult to verify the measurements and weight on certified
scales without risking the health of the fish, because it was
5:00 a.m. Without any further thought, Bill simply let go of
her tail and the beast swam away strong with her only injuries
being that of her pride. It was a good clean release on a
potential record-breaking lunge and we were all simply in
shock after it happened. Muskie Hunters calculator for length
and girth measurements puts this fish at an astonishing
53.6 lbs. Knocking on the door of a new State Record. If
she’s not already a current state record, she will be by this fall.
The fish looked very young in age due to her small head.
Although very jealous, (and any muskie hunter would be),
I am very grateful to have witnessed such a remarkable catch,
for fish of this caliber are simply not caught everyday. Special
Thanks to Jason Hamernick , for he made our trip a very
special one. It was our first trip north.

It won’t be our last……………

Tony, Cave run Kentucky
Man behind the camera
Contact Jason Hamernick
MuskieBreath’s Guide Service
muskiebreath@aol.com
612-209-0608